This is called an ‘ecooler’ you can read more on it over here at designboom

These ‘water displacement objects’ are used in the bath tub in order to reduce the amount of water used. Its not that it’s really a bad design it looks elegant it’s just that how would use this product really? Talking a bath is an indulgent activity if you are talking a bath everynight by yourself with the water ruight up to the brim you wouldn’t suddenly want these stones to sit around.

It just speaks to me about people’s intelligence or lack of it…The use of water is still an issue after a 10 year drought needless to say there isn’t a lot of it, but as usual its politics and they decide that we have enough to lift some restrictions, but still we need to build a desalination plant its just to political and at times I get frustrated.

Over on core77 this article really got me thinking about it all again. Below are a few quotes that highlight what to think of it all. Also the impacts of our little paper cups.

The design response to a wash of green whole systems and life cycle thinking by Simon Lockrey

‘There lies the contradiction between designing for the consumption obsessed market and designing to the core principles of sustainability, where environmental, economic and social aspects are somewhat detached from a consumer driven market.’

‘Take design for disassembly. A designer in an appliance company designs a product for disassembly although there is no effective product stewardship scheme to collect the parts from reclaimed models. The design driven benefit is not delivered, rendering the methodology a waste of time. It is also well and good to reduce the weight of components and thus the embodied energy of the same appliance, however if the bulk of the impacts are generated during use from electricity (like an electric kettle), then the strategy most likely has negligible benefit in reducing environmental load. Likewise by making parts from commonised, recyclable materials, the likelihood is that there is no post consumer recycling stream or infrastructure in place to handle the majority of parts and materials, due to the commercial reality of recycling. This design for environment mentality has long been detached from the benefit it has aimed to deliver upon.’

‘One approach is for design to lower the user’s consumption, without degrading the consumer’s experience. The question is whether the new breed of ‘eco’ products adds to the crisis, or makes a real difference.’

‘The KeepCup compared to disposable paper cup (including coffee) sees a 36-47 % reduction in global warming, a 71-85 % reduction in water use, and a 91-92 % reduction in landfill waste annually.’ This is based off using a paper cup a day.

I hardly ever drink takeaway coffee/hot drinks anyway only once or twice a year, I am also cheap so always have a bottle of tap water on me as I don’t want to by drinks when I am out. Otherwise if in a work environment where you frequently get coffee, it makes sense to keep the cup on your desk and take it with you when you go get it I can’t imagine lugging a cup around with you in your bag for space issues so I can see why there is a big market, it fits in with your routine.

The hardest bit I think about sustainable design are the many critics and voices that have to have their say, it becomes easy to get disheartened. Some people don’t believe in stepping stone products that make some difference and some are extreme and say it result with no waste being 100% biodegradable. Well that’s all I have time for now as homework is calling me to stop being distracted.

My Grandma is a deeply religious person so she is somewhat comforted by the fact they will meet again one day, but after sharing your life with someone for 65 years with almost 60 of them being married there is no real comforting messages. There is pain and the gratefulness of family.

So its fathers day today, and one full week, time is different somehow. We spent every family occasion together, and almost every weekend.

So now with a project in mind I am going to use my free time well, I have access to a sewing machine even though its somewhat old. (thanks to mum) so the only real cost is in my fabric choice so i have started to look through the internet at DIY on sewing that looks like my level as I only completed about one years worth of sewing back at high school. As the machine is old it will have imitations. I am looking at all sewing projects for ideas and techniques.

Here is a nice sewing project that is simple and doesn’t look to crafty and homemade. I am planning on making it look attractive and not just a plain black case that you lock away everything it. Plus I love handbags, I could never design my own as I think it would kill a lot of the joy I have for them, though who knows?

I like to get simple advice that I can find as I don’t have any knowledge of my own on basics so practice essential. Stay tuned as trough out the week if I can find some spare time I will put up my favourite sketch as I am getting my ideas out. I also aim to put up a few ideas of what people have done about portable bead/jewelery making cases.

So career wise I am going nowhere fast as I don’t know where I want to be but after 6 months of knowing where I don’t want to be I am starting to find some books about others to figure out their own decisions and motivations. I have always struggled to make decisions as I over think things to much and unless there is a gut instinct to listen to I fumble along. This gut instinct is great as it hasn’t let me down yet but when its not there which is most the time (it only kick in on big decisions) I wander around in circles aimlessly.

The hardest thing I have found is I found it embarrassing that I haven’t gotten anywhere yet since graduating, I admit its mostly due to my own lack of faith I haven’t had the desire to design or make or draw anything. Its as if my creative side just died on the spot and with it half my will power/desires. Though I have started dreaming about designing things again, literally I had a dream that I was designing chairs and interiors out of this magical material that glows, creates its own electricity and is sculpted like clay that my friend who happened to be from uni and where in a few of my classes created together.

Unless having a clear goal/vision I find that you get nowhere at all and this is where I am at nowhere at all professionally, personally and my creativity. Understanding whats happened, and how its happened and how to change it has given me more motivation to at least think about possible futures a good start.

My focus at the moment to kick start my creative thinking, is storage of stuff as things are just cluttered gathering dust and I just can’t find them when I need them. So I am starting on my own problem first. I want to do small things that make me happy and only me until I feel I can move onto others and their visions. I have stoppled listening to myself completely and found that I couldn’t answer the question are you happy? No I am not why as I am not listing to anything I want for myself I am listing to what others say I should do to be happy. I have decided that I may not have the personality to be a designer with the self focused somewhat egotistical strength to just listen to myself and ideas but it doesn’t mean that with some hard work I will get there. Just because I am not working within design doesn’t mean I am not a designer, and just because I reach a point where my passion died along with every creative fiber in my body it wont return.

I want something bigger from design but until I figure out something small of design I feel I am of little use, the design we all know and relate to is the design of objects and the physical so this will be my goal. Its going to be self funded and directed unless I can catch up with the rest of the bandwagon and can work within the industry. I know I have made a mistake of not chasing things and opportunities down, as I lack faith in myself, with the big shadow of Doubt chasing me down its become paralyzing so I am behind the game.

So I have started to learn more Mandarin a personal goal that might or might be useful within my career but I feel I need to return to China where the manufacturing is happening. I have started to do more 2D designs, and to help out the money situation work more. So now I am in an intensive language course, that is just that mindbogglingly and hard, but it leaves me little time to think on the negative side, with little time to think I can only think quality thoughts or I hope so at least. It feels good to do something for myself that is rewarding when something finally clicks its strait forward no gray only white and black, but so hard to go back to study amazingly hard.

Today we all said goodbye. She was truly like a second mother as I spent so much time with my friend growing up and her motherly instincts took over, the first night I stayed over only being kids and single beds her mother went and got a nice and sturdy camper bed as its more comfortable. She would always drive us everywhere, and loved to sit and listen to us girls just talk about anything while we had milkshakes, and later tea and coffee. I often spent more time at my friends house as she had endless space and walks to go on, a nice hot fire to curl up in winter time. I have grown really close with their whole family as they all made me feel included. I always knew she was there for me and her stories about her as a kid.

When we love someone who we love it really hurts as that the price of love when its gone. It has now brought on some time for me to reflect so you will hear more from me about my soon to be goals I am discovering. As I feel change is in the air.

Oh and I think we have decided Friday for our coffee, we all still need to be close to each other at the moment.

Episode 1: “Ghosts in the Machine”
Episode 2: “Designs for Living”
Episode 3: “Blueprints for War”
Episode 4: “Better Living Through Chemistry”
Episode 5: “Objects of Desire”

It was interesting to watch and hear the different views of designers, and the topics covered. I do remember back to first year uni when we covered what was said and more, but I remember being told that history changes, as its only a limited perspective and there are always stories and sides not shown so one must always be objective and open and see that its not set in stone.

Over at design boom I noticed this nudgeables a wearable technology project by Kate Hartman and HazelMeyer that allows you to poke or nudge a friend from a short distance using x-bee radios. So when you cross your legs a nudge is sent to the recipient who is wearing a big brooch. Check out the link for some more information.

I think the distance of the nudge is too limiting as a nudge would be more of a hello or an annoying thing you keep doing to joke with friends if you did it non stop or while they where listening to something.Most messages to close freinds who I would share such a device with I can communicate with body language if they can see me. I roll of the eyes or a certain look to communicate in jokes or a smile to say hey!

If you could wear the brooch or receiving device and be a long distance away even in another country it would be more useful. As if you feel lonely and get a nudge you will feel more connected with them instantly, as if saying I haven’t forgotten you. It could be sending a personal in joke, as some friend like to tease like covering their hands over your eyes and saying guess who? Or if they are on their way home from work and its like I am waiting for you to get home.